Leveler scraper



p 1941. I R. M, DAVENPORT 2,257,596

LEVELER SCRAIER Filed larch 16, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 1 Sept. 30, 1941. R. M. DAVENPORT 2,257,596

LEVELER- SCRAPEK Filed March 16, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 30, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,257,596 LEVELER SCRAPER Ralph M. Davenport, Southgate, Calif. Application March 16, 1940, Serial No. 324,372

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in leveler scrapers, or to devices used for scraping and leveling land.

A primary object of the invention is to provide an improved device of this character which can be easily and quickly altered or adjusted to enable the device to be advantageously used either for scraping, leveling, and spreading soil, or in the alternative, to be advantageously used for building checks and borders on land.

For leveling, scraping, and spreading purposes it is desirable to have the bowl or scraper powerfully and accurately adjusted with respect to the frame of the device. Quick dumping or emptying of the bowl or scraper is not usually important when the construction is used for this purpose. In erecting borders and checks on land it is of considerable importance to speed up the action of the tilting mechanism for the bowl or scraper so that on passing over the location of the border or check the bowl can be quickly tilted and emptied to deposit its contents at the desired place.

The present invention contemplates a construction that can be easily altered or adjusted so as to accomplish either desirable result, depending upon whether the construction is utilized for one purpose or the other.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved leveler scraper of relatively simple and durable design which can be easily manufactured and the parts of which are not only sturdy but can be easily replaced when occasion requires.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel construction for mounting the tongue on the leveler scraper by which it is connected to a tractor or equivalent draft device.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following de tailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved leveler scraper illustrating it in that position in which it is used for scraping, leveling, and spreading purposes;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the same;

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation illustrating the construction as having been altered or adjusted into that position wherein it may be most advantageously employed for erecting checks and borders; and

Fig. 5 is a partial view in perspective illustrating the manner of attachment of the tongue.

Fig. 6 is a partial view in side elevation illustrating a rear attachment for finishing the surface of the soil that may be optionally employed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the improved leveler scraper comprises a steel frame formed of side members In and I I connected by a forward cross or transverse member l2 and a rear transverse member I3. The side members I!) and II extend rearwardly beyond the rear transverse member l3 and have bolt holes indicated at I4, formed therein providing for the attachment of spindles on which there are wheels IS. A short distance forwardly of the rear transverse member I3 there are similar bolt holes I! arranged opposite the back of the bowl generally designated at I8.

By this arrangement the wheels I6 may optionally be mounted on the frame so as to assume a position rearwardly of the bowl as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or by utilizing the bolt holes H the wheels may be mounted on the frame at a position opposite the back of the bowl as shown in Fig. 4. The bowl I8 has an upwardly curved back I9 provided with a scraper blade and has end walls 2I and 22. A central brace 23 also extends forwardly from the center of the back wall I9. The end walls of the bowl have their forward ends pivotally mounted on the side members Ill and II as bypivots 24 and the forward end of the brace 23 is similarly pivotally mounted on the back of the forward transverse member I2.

Blade reinforcing brackets 25 are welded to the back of the-bowl adjacent the end members and serve to protect and strengthen each end of the bowl and each end of the blade 20.

On top of the forward transverse member I2 there is mounted a rock shaft 26 having arms 21, 28, and 29 rigidly mounted thereon. Links 30 and 3| pivotally connect the arms 21 and 29 to the back of the bowl respectively. One of these links is preferably adjustable as to length as indicated at 32, so that by adjusting its length the bottom of blade 20 will be caused to scrape evenly over the ground traversed'b-y the leveler scraper. The arms 21 and 29 have a series of holes 33 formed therein, any of which may be utilized to pivotally attach the forward ends of the links to their respective arms.

The forward ends of the side members III and II converge toward each other forwardly of the forward transverse member I2 and are connected together by means of a rectangular box or sleeve 34. Gusset plates 35 are also preferably employed to strengthen the connection between the box or sleeve 34 and the forward ends of the side members. Top and bottom plates 36 and 31 are mounted on the top and bottom respectively of the forward transverse member l2 and cooperate with the sleeve or box 34 to receive a tongue 3B which may be bolted to the top and bottom plates and to the sleeve and which provides for attachment of the construction to a tractor or other draft device. On the top of the box or sleeve 34 there is mounted a suitable fitting 39 on which is pivotally mounted a hydraulic cylinder 40, the piston of which has a piston rod 4l that is pivotally connected to arm 28. Arm 28 also is equipped with a series of 'holes any of which may be utilized. The hydraulic cylinder is connected by means of two conduits 42 and 43 to a source of fluid pressure, usually hydraulic pressure, on the tractor or other draft device so that the piston in the cylinder can be hydraulically actuated in either direction.

For land leveling and scraping purposes the wheels are mounted at the rear of the frame as shown in Fig. 1. In some instances extensions are attached to the rear ends of the frame and the wheels mounted on the rear ends of these extensions. When the wheels are in the position shown in Fig. l, or are on the extensions it is advisable to utilize the uppermost bolt holes in the arms 27, 28, and 29. In this position the operation of the bowl by means of the fluid pressure operated mechanism is relatively slow but with considerable leverage. Consequently with the leveler scraper in this position it may be advantageously used for scraping, leveling, and spreading.

When it is desired to erect checks or borders, however, it is advantageous to mount the wheels on the frame utilizing the bolt holes I1 opposite the ends of the bowl. It is also desirable to connest the hydraulically operated mechanism and the links 30 and 3! to their respective arms 28,

21, and 25, by means of lower bolt holes so that a the lengths of these arms are materially shortened. This alteration increases the speed of operation of the bowl so that On passing over the location of a check C, see Fig. 4, the hydraulic mechanism can be caused to quickly elevate the bowl and to empty its contents. In this way the same construction can be easily altered to most satisfactorily perform either operation, namely leveling and spreading or check and border building.

When the wheels H; are mounted on the construction behind the bowl or scraper either as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, or on extensions there may be attached to the sides of the frame extension bars 44, see Fig. 6, which may be ment required can be easily, quickly, and simply accomplished. In the event that it is necessary to alter the length of the tongue, the tongue employed may be easily and quickly detached and another tongue substituted.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

I. A leveler scraper comprising a frame, a bowl pivotally mounted upon the frame, wheels for the frame, means for optionally mounting the wheels on the frame rearwardly of the bowl or on the frame adjacent the ends of the bowl, fluid pressure operated means on the frame for tilting the bowl relative to the frame, and means adjustably connecting the bowl to the fluid pressure operated means whereby the speed of tilting the bowl by the fluid pressure operated means may be varied.

2. A leveler scraper comprising a frame, a bowl pivotally mounted upon the frame, wheels for the frame, means for optionally mounting the wheels on the frame rearwardly of the bowl or on the frame adjacent the ends of thebowl, fluid pressure operated means on the frame for tilting the bowl relative to the frame, a rock shaft on the frame to which the fluid pressure operated means is connected, crank arms on the rock shaft and links connecting the crank arms to the bowl, the connection between the links and the crank arms being adjustable so that the speed of tilting the bowl by the rock shaft may be varied.

.3. A leveler scraper comprising a frame, a bowl pivotally mounted upon the frame, wheels for the frame, means whereby the position of the wheels on the frame relative to the bowl may be varied, a rock shaft on the frame having arms thereon, links connecting some of the arms to the bowl, fluid pressure operated means tiltably mounted on the frame, and means connecting the fluid pressure operated means to an arm on the rock shaft whereby upon operation of the fluid pressure operated means the tilt of the bowl may be varied, the connection between the links and the arms and the fluid pressure operated means to the arm on the rock shaft being adjustable along the length of the arms whereby the speed of operation of the bowl by the fluid pressure operated means may be varied.

4. A leveler scraper comprising a frame, a bowl pivotally mounted upon the frame, wheels for the frame, means whereby the position of the wheels on theframe relative to the bowl may be varied, a rock shaft on the frame having arms thereon, links connecting some of the arms to the bowl, fluid pressure operated means tiltably mounted on the frame, and means connecting the fluid pressure operated means to an arm on the rock shaft whereby upon operation of the fluid pressure operated means the tilt of the bowl may be varied, the connection between the fluid pressure operated means and the arm on the rock shaft being adjustable along the length of the arm whereby the speed of operation of the bowl by the fluid pressure operated means may be Varied.

RALPH M. DAVENPORT. 

